The Madadeni High Court convicted and sentenced three accused to a total of 18 terms of life imprisonment and 45 years imprisonment for rape. In February 2017, the accused broke into a house in Fairbreeze area where a 17-year-old woman was sleeping with her nine-year-old brother. She was repeatedly gang-raped and robbed of household items at knifepoint. A case of rape and robbery was opened at the Dannhauser police station and assigned to the Newcastle Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for investigation.
When the 33-year-old mother heard about the incident, she had to leave her job in Johannesburg and return home. Her children had to sleep over at the neighbour’s house after the incident. Towards the end of March 2017 whilst the mother was sleeping, one of her daughter’s attackers broke into her house armed with a knife. He told her that he came to kill her daughter because they have heard that she opened a case against them. When he realized that she was not at home, he repeatedly raped the mother. A case was opened at the Dannhauser police station and Newcastle Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit investigators swiftly arrested all three accused, three days later. They were positively identified by both victims at an identification parade and linked by DNA. They were tried whilst in custody and during their bail application, bail was not granted.
Siboniso Magnificent Malevu (29), Vusumuzi Sibusiso Zungu (29) and Thokozani Andries Khumalo (30) were each sentenced to five terms of life imprisonment for raping the daughter and 15 years imprisonment for housebreaking and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Khumalo was also given an additional three terms of life imprisonment for raping the mother.
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